Applying color to finger nails is generally time consuming, requiring application of several layers of nail varnish, each of which must be allowed to dry. Despite this cumbersome application process, after only 3 to 5 days, the varnish can flake away and the gloss of the varnish diminishes causing the user to remove the varnish and start the process over again.
Furthermore, when nail varnish is colored, its application is difficult and time-consuming because the user generally attempts to avoid spreading the varnish onto the nail contour—retouching the nail using a solvent is difficult because it dissolves the varnished areas of the nails where varnish has been appropriately applied in addition to the areas where the varnish has spread.
Thus, different ways to apply decorative materials to fingernails and other keratin materials are sought after.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,840 relates to an adhesively-securable fingernail covering product. The nail polish-like material is provided in semi-solid form on a sheet of adhesive-backed peel-off paper which, when removed, exposes the adhesive of the fingernail coatings. The fingernail coatings are, after removal from an air-tight package, cut into individual sections, located on the fingernails and pressed onto the fingernails to secure them there, temporarily, i.e., until they are desirably removed. The semi-solid nail enamel product is originally sealed in an air tight envelope to ensure that the coatings do not fully dry out during shipping and storage. The use of this air tight envelope is restricting, and cannot be avoided since the product still contains solvent. After a short period of time out of the tight packaging, the article becomes difficult to apply since it does not stretch easily and tends to break when applied to a curved surface.
U.S. Patent Application 2005/255061 provides examples of film formulas usable in a nail appliqué. Some examples suffer from the same drawbacks discussed above with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,840. Other examples have poor abrasion resistance which leads to poor wear characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,903 from LTS Lohman Therapie-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG generally relates to a self-adhesive laminate, shapeable to toe and fingernails, containing a) a film-forming polymer layer containing at least one plasticizer, b) a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer located thereon, and c) a removable carrier film which covers the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, wherein the film-forming layer a) is also covered on the other side with d) a protective layer, which is likewise removable and is resistant to the other constituents of the laminate and the materials used in the preparation of the laminate. The examples do not lead to laminates having sufficient stretchability—generally speaking, when laminates are applied on curved nails, it is necessary/desirable that the laminates can be stretched (have sufficient stretchability) to avoid wrinkles on nails' sides.
French Patent 2870452 from L'Oreal relates to a flexible article with optical-, render- and/or olfactory-effect for make-up, nail care and/or nails comprising an adhesive layer for fixing on the nail, an organic film and a material with optical, rendering and/or olfactory effect.
French Patent 2870453/WO2005112874 from L'Oreal relates to a flexible article which is used to make up and/or care for nails and/or false nails, comprising: at least one adhesive layer which is used to fix the article to the nail, and at least one cross-linked film.
French Patent 2870454 from L'Oreal relates to a flexible article for make-up, nail care and/or false nail care comprises an adhesive layer, and a polymeric film obtained by evaporation of aqueous phase of an aqueous dispersion of particles of at least a film-forming polymer.
PCT Patent Application WO2007/039832 from L'Oreal relates to a method for make-up and/or care of the nails comprising gluing onto the nail, by means of an adhesive, a flexible sheet comprising at least one layer of at least one organic and/or inorganic material, the organic or inorganic material and/or the adhesive containing at least one silicone compound, said sheet having a thickness in the range from 1 μm to 2 mm.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for improved adhesive articles which are long-lasting and/or which can be applied quickly and easily.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is a care and/or makeup and/or treatment article for mucosis or keratin materials which has such properties and/or is able to address or overcome the aforementioned problems with the prior art compositions.